Annie Rice/ESPN Images(COLUMBIA, Mo.) — University of Missouri freshman Michael Porter Jr.’s first college basketball season ended almost as soon as it began after the school announced he would undergo surgery for a back injury.
In a tweet, the university said Porter underwent a microdiscectomy on the L3 and L4 spinal disks. His recovery is expected to take at least 4 months, meaning he will miss the entire season for the Missouri Tigers.
Porter only played two minutes in the Tigers’ season opener against Iowa State before he was forced to leave the game. He finished with two points and two rebounds.
Porter was projected to be a top-5 pick in next year’s NBA Draft. ESPN had him ranked second in their list of top-100 college basketball players.
The 6-foot-10 forward showed his potential coming into the season, averaging 36 points and 13.6 rebounds in his senior year of high school. Porter was named a McDonald’s All-American for his efforts. He was also named a co-Southeastern Conference preseason Player of the Year after dropping 21 points against third-ranked Kansas in an exhibition game.
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